Story Supports Hope

"Story supports hope: it gives courage to fight when needed, laughter when the unexpected happens, and a kind of verbal sanctuary of wisdom to ponder in times of quiet."

Amy E. Spaulding, The Art of Storytelling: Telling Truths through Telling Stories

Roasted Chickpeas

Monday lunches tend to be leftovers. We had pasta and salad last night, so I decided to eat the salad. I added chickpeas for a quick protein.

The salad was delicious, but I had a lot of uneaten chickpeas—perfect for experimenting with roasted chickpeas!


Roasted Chickpeas (makes 2 cups)
Recipe based on this Roasted Chickpea recipe from Jessica of how sweet it is.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1-2 teaspoons olive oil spray
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place rinsed chickpeas on a paper towel. Pat dry and remove any loose skins.
3. Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place chickpeas on baking sheet.
4. Lightly mist chickpeas with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika. Roll chickpeas to coat.
5. With chickpeas in a single layer, bake for 15 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and roll chickpeas. Bake for another 15 minute.
7. Let cool and eat!

The chickpeas smelled delicious as they cooked. Some of the chickpeas were still chewy when I removed them from the oven, so I cooked them for an additional 7 minutes. This will probably vary from oven to oven. 

Roasted chickpeas high in protein and a great alternative to chips. They have a similar taste and texture as corn nuts and taste best after they have cooled.

It was my first time using one of Jessica's recipes, and I found her conversational directions easy to follow.

I recommend trying this recipe. Next time I will use honey to make a sweet and salty version.
 

My Sunday in Photos

Photos originally uploaded to my Instagram.

Cherry Picking

The bounty of summer keeps giving. Several years ago my mom planted Nanking Bush Cherries. Unfortunately the birds ate all of the cherries last year. This year she had an overabundance of fruit.

Nanking cherries are smaller and tarter than the sweet varieties sold at the grocery store.

My mom and I agreed to a barter: I helped her pick the fruit and she would give me cherry jam!

You cannot get any more local than your own (or your family's) backyard.

Sweet Lavender Dreams

A few weeks ago I harvested a basketful of lavender. My mom dried it for me in her dehydrator. Now, I am picking the fragrant blossoms off of the stalk. It's slow work, but rewarding. My fingers smell of lavender and sweet dreams.

It's a peaceful meditation.

A Beautiful Mess App Review

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you know that I recently bought the iPhone 5.

Tweet

My HTC Evo was over three years old, and it was time for a new phone. I like the iPhone's size and the balanced specs (and I will blog about my choice of Apple over Android soon).

I have been on an app downloading spree. Most of the apps I've downloaded are free, but I noticed that one of my favorite blogs, A Beautiful Mess by Elsie and Emma, released an image manipulation app by the same name.

At $.99, A Beautiful Mess allows users to add fun borders, doodles, filters, and text to images. Afterwards the image can be shared via social networks Instagram, Twitter, Facebook (using hashtag #ABeautifulMess), or emailed.
 

Image created using A Beautiful Mess

I found resizing the type and doodles to be tricky, but the end result is worth it. One thing to note is that while the app only costs $.99, users could easily spend over $10 buying expansion packs. Overall I really liked the app, and I recommend supporting these lovely ladies.


The app is designed for both iPhone and iPad. An Android app is being developed and should be available soon.

A Beautiful Mess, $.99

July Fourth Weekend

Vacation has been a wonderful combination of relaxation and fun. Matt and I spent four days in Ludington with my family. We saw fireworks on the beach, ate grilled food, rode bikes, and enjoyed the sun on the beach and in a pool.

 Here are a few vacation photos I uploaded to my Instagram:

Home away from home.

Morning birdsong.

 

 

Waiting for dusk.

Sargent Sands.

Clear waters.

And a couple from my sister Jeannine's Instagram:

Champagne on the beach!

I have a knack for not looking at the camera.

The best part is I don't return to work until Thursday so I have a few more days to relax.

How was your July Fourth?

A Day in Saugatuck

Angie (of Strawbrry Passion) and I were going to go strawberry picking yesterday, but when we saw that Sunday's forecast was 90 degrees (and in Michigan, you can bet it will be humid as well) we decided to go to the beach weather instead. So Saugatuck became our destination instead.

I got up EARLY (6 am) on Sunday morning so that I could meet Angie in Okemos by 8 am. We stopped by Biggby Coffee before we went to a 9:15 church service. By 11:00 am we were on the road to Saugatuck!

We were hungry when made it to Saugatuck so we stopped at Phil's. Afterward we wandered through the various shops.

We made it to the Lake around 4 pm. The beach was packed, but we found the perfect spot not too far down the beach.

The water was warmer than I thought it would be (when I went to Ludington over the Memorial day weekend it was freezing!). We spent some time looking for interesting stones, beach glass, and driftwood. The driftwood I collected is curing for beach-themed crafts.

The wind was the perfect temperature to blow the heat off our bodies. Angie fell asleep when we finally laid in the sun. It was after 7 pm when we left the beach!

We were reluctant to leave Saugatuck. We went back to the town for Kilwin's ice cream. Angie bought some sun-changing nail polish from Del Sol.

On our way back to my car we saw the Supermoon (a Strawberry Moon as well!). I didn't get home until 11:30 pm.

It was a wonderful summer's day, and I feel relaxed as I get ready to start my week.

What did you do this weekend?

Summer Bucket List

Summer is my favorite time of the year. I love the long, lazy days and warm nights. Because today is the summer solstice it feels like summer has finally arrived. The whole season stretches ahead of us. 
  
This summer I plan to :

1.   Do summer crafts: Friendship bracelets and tie-dyed tees.

2.   Pick berries: Berries mean crisp, crumbles, pies, and freezer jam! Angie (of StrawbrryPassion) and I are going strawberry picking on Sunday. I hope to go pick blueberries as well the blackberries and raspberries in our backyard!

3.   Take a road trip: My goal is to visit family in Ludington once a month over the summer. My next trip coincides with July 4th!

4.   Visit the BEACH: Ludington and Saugatuck for certain.

4.   Buy food at the farmer's market: There's nothing like fresh food!

5.   See a movie at the drive-in: Capri Drive-in Theatre in Coldwater.

Other summer festivities to enjoy: Sandals. Gardening. Storms. Fireworks. Barbeques. Sundresses. Fireflies. Garage sales. Cutoff Jeans. Swinging in a hammock. Sun tea. Ice cream. Bonfires.

The season holds endless possibilities.  

What are you looking forward to this summer?

Current

listening // to Spotify. It's only taken me two-and-a-half years to set it up.

watching // We're watching Game of Thrones (after sundown).
reading // I just finished Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell.
wanting // I want to not feel sick.
working // On taking action.
thinking // Creative is always on my mind.

Stories Come Alive in the Telling

"Stories were different, though: they came alive in the telling. Without a human voice to read them aloud, or a pair of wide eyes following them by flashlight beneath a blanket, they had no real existence in our world. They were like seeds in the beak of a bird, waiting to fall to earth, or the notes of a song laid out on a sheet, yearning for an instrument to bring their music into being. They lay dormant, hoping for the chance to emerge. Once someone started to read them, they could begin to change. They could take root in the imagination, and transform the reader."

John Connolly, The Book of Lost Things

Haunting Your Mind

"Stories you read when you're the right age never quite leave you. You may forget who wrote them or what the story was called. Sometimes you'll forget precisely what happened, but if a story touches you it will stay with you, haunting the places in your mind that you rarely ever visit."

Neil Gaiman, Introduction to M is for Magic

Feeling Joy

"Feeling blue is never an excuse for passing on a chance to feel joy."

Veronique Vienne, The Art of the Moment

Tributary

DesignLoveFest Watercolor Desktop Background

Hannah and Kelty, co-columnists of Dress Your Tech on DesignLoveFest, created two wonderful watercolor desktop backgrounds free to download.

via

The vibrant teal and pink watercolors feel like the moment spring hints at summer. The blue reminds me of the summertime sky at the Lake (Lake Michigan for non-Michiganders).

Screenshot of my desktop.

I love the teal watercolor as my desktop background. Thank you ladies for creating such lovely backgrounds!


Originally found on Pinterest; I pinned (teal | pink) them in my tech downloads board.

Beautiful Spring

It is too nice of a day to sit at the computer. If you're experiencing the weather I am, I hope you get outside and enjoy it.

Summer is coming!

Current

listening // Bones by Ms Mr
watching // Game of Thrones, Veronica Mars, Arrested Development, House of Cards
reading // What's the Alternative? Career Options for Librarians and Info Pros by Rachel Singer Gordon
wanting // To take creative action.
working // On a technology class I am teaching at work this week.
thinking // MLIS? Bookstore/Boutique? And how to spread positive in Jackson.

Explore the Darkness

"Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of the light."

Brené Brown, Ph.D., LMSW, The Gifts of Imperfection

As I've mentioned I am on a quest for positive. I first heard of Brené Brown's from Seth Godin's interview (The Art of Noticing and Then Creating) on the weekly radio show On Being with Krista Tippett. I find Seth's blog powerful, and I was curious to read someone he admires, so I put The Gifts of Imperfection on hold at the library (and hoped that it was not yet another feel good self-help book).

I am almost finished with the book, and I am not disappointed. As an ideas person I tend to think in the abstract. In her book Brené defines concepts such as authenticity, compassion, and wholehearted with concrete descriptions and scenarios.

Perfectionism destroys hope, love, and gratitude. Without them our lives feel meaningless, and we become numb and stuck in a cycle of fear. Brené reaffirms the need for meaningful connections and spirituality.

I am ready for the gifts of imperfection.

Dirty Mugs

Matt and I are drinking a lot of tea. Somehow this translates to twice as many mugs to clean, but I don't mind. The various infusions spread a pleasant warmth within. And we need it, because the weather keeps switching back and forth, and we both feel like we're coming down with something.

I am certain that tea is the answer.

Infinite Imagination

"The power of imagination makes us infinite." 

John Muir, "The National Parks and Forest Reservations" Sierra Club Bulletin 1896